Most important Viking Treasure in 150 years found by metal
detectorists in North Yorkshire

A major Viking hoard was discovered in the Harrogate area in
January 2007 by metal-detectorists David and Andrew Whelan. The
size and quality of the hoard is remarkable, making it the most
important find of its type in Britain for over 150 years.

The father and son detecting team promptly reported the hoard to
their local Finds Liaison Officer, and displayed exemplary
behaviour in not unpacking all the objects from the bowl, but
keeping the find intact. As a possible Treasure find, it was then
transferred to the British Museum where conservators have carefully
excavated each find to avoid damaging the individual objects or
losing important contextual information.

The conservation work has revealed that like other Viking hoards
of the period, it contains a mixture of different precious metal
objects, including coins, complete ornaments, ingots (bars) and
chopped-up fragments known as hack-silver. The hoard also shows the
diversity of cultural contacts in the medieval world, with objects
coming from as far apart as Afghanistan in the East and Ireland in
the West, as well as Russia, Scandinavia and continental
Europe.

The most spectacular single object is a gilt
silver vessel, made in what is now France in the first half of the
ninth century. It was apparently intended for use in church
services, and was probably either looted from a monastery by
Vikings, or given to them in tribute. Most of the smaller objects
were hidden inside this vessel, which was itself protected by some
form of lead container. As a result, the hoard was extremely
well-preserved. Other star objects include a rare gold arm-ring,
and over 600 coins, including several new or rare types. These
provide valuable new information about the history of England in
the early tenth century, as well as Yorkshire’s wider cultural
contacts in the period. Interestingly, the hoard contains coins
relating to Islam and to the pre-Christian religion of the Vikings,
as well as to Christianity.

The hoard was probably buried for safety by a
wealthy Viking leader during the unrest that followed the conquest
of the Viking kingdom of Northumbria in AD 927 by the Anglo-Saxon
king Athelstan (924-39).

The Harrogate hoard was declared to be
Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996) by Mr Fell, HM
Coroner for North Yorkshire, on 19 July 2007. The find is of global
importance, as well as having huge significance for the history of
North Yorkshire. York Museum Trust, Harrogate Borough Council's
Museums & Arts Service and the British Museum are committed to
working together to acquire, interpret and exhibit the hoard, and
to making it accessible to the widest possible public, both in the
region and elsewhere.

The next stage of the Treasure process is for
the hoard to be valued for the Department of Culture, Media and
Sport by the independent Treasure Valuation Committee. In the
meantime the museums will continue to develop more detailed plans
to raise money for the acquisition, and to exhibit the hoard once
it is acquired.

Margaret Hodge, Culture Minister said: "Finds
such as this are invaluable in teaching us about our history. This
remarkable discovery highlights the contribution both the Treasure
Act and the Portable Antiquities Scheme continue to make towards
our knowledge of the past. I commend David and Andrew Whelan for
their prompt and responsible reporting of this hugely significant
find, which will enrich our understanding of the Vikings."

Mr Fell, Coroner, commented: 'Treasure cases
are always interesting, but this is one of the most exciting cases
that I have ever had to rule on. I'm delighted that such an
important Viking hoard has been discovered in North Yorkshire. We
are extremely proud of our Viking heritage in this area.

Mary Kershaw, Director of Collections at York,
said: ‘York’s new partnership with the British Museum has
focused on sharing collections for display, such as the Warren Cup
and Roman collections for the Constantine exhibition at the
Yorkshire Museum. It would be wonderful to work together on
the joint purchase of such a stunning and important group of
material.’

Gina Lane Director of Operations, Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council said: “Thanks to the continuing
responsible behaviour of metal detectorists, another fantastic
find has been made available for everyone to enjoy, either online
or in museums. This is also thanks to successful partnership
working between the local museum services and the British
Museum.”

For further information or images please
contact Hannah Boulton at the British Museum on 020 7323 8522 or
hboulton@britishmuseum.org

Notes to Editors

The hoard contains a total of 617 silver coins and 65 other
objects, as well as a gold-arm-ring and the gilt silver vessel.
Several fragments of lead found with the hoard appear to come from
some sort of container.

The largest Viking hoard in western Europe was found at
Cuerdale in Lancashire in 1840. Objects from the Cuerdale hoard are
now on display in several museums around the UK, with the largest
group housed in the British Museum. The Harrogate hoard is the
largest Viking and most important hoard from Britain since the
Cuerdale.

A Viking army conquered the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria
in AD 869. The area remained under Viking control until it was
conquered by Athelstan in 927. The area had another brief period of
independence following Athelstan’s death in 939, which lasted until
the death of the Viking ruler Eric Bloodaxe in 954.

The Vikings made a lasting impact in Britain, including
place-names, sculpture and influence on the English language, as
well as archaeological remains. Yorkshire is one of the areas which
shows the strongest Viking influence.

The British Museum and the York Museums Trust work closely
together as under the banner of Partnership UK, the strategic
framework for the British Museum’s programme of engagement with
audiences throughout the country.

All finders of gold and silver objects, and groups of coins
from the same finds, over 300 years old, have a legal obligation to
report such items under the Treasure Act 1996. Prehistoric
base-metal assemblages found after 1st January 2003 also qualify as
Treasure. Treasure finds must be reported by law to the local
coroner, which is normally done through the finders local PAS Finds
Liaison Officer. More information is available on www.culture.gov.uk/ or http://www.finds.org.uk

The Portable Antiquities Scheme has a national network of 36
Finds Liaison Officers who record all archaeological finds made by
members of the public and assist with the reporting of potential
Treasure finds, as required by the Treasure Act. The Scheme is run
by the BM on behalf of MLA. The online database, http://www.finds.org.uk/, contains
details over 175,000 objects